Electric switch.



J. FRHS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2. I914.

Patented May 29, 1917.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

1. FRHS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, I914.

1,227,605. v Patented May 29, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FRIIS.

ELECTRIC SWHCH. APPLICATION FILEQD NOV- 2. I914.

Patel lted May 29, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

rm: mmms PETERS cu. Puom-umou WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FRIIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOT. TO 'lI-IOS. CUSACK COMPANY,OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

ELECTRIC S'WI'ICH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Application filed 1Iovember 2, 1914. Serial N 0. 8652741.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, JOHN FRIIS, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to improvements in is to engage, with the slowmovement of the timed apparatus which controls the periods of making andbreaking of the switch connection to determine the lighting andextinguishing of the electric lamps. sult of the slow movement of themovable member of the switch device controlling the electric lampcircuit, I particularly when breaking the connection between saidmovable member and the fined member of the switch, is that arcing isproduced between the two switch members, with the consequent deleteriouseffect to the contact members of the switch and of waste of electricpower.

The object of the present invention is to produce a time controlledswitch mechanism of the kind referred to, in which the movable member ofthe switch is quickly and rapidly moved from its contact with the fixedmember of the switch, in breaking the circuit, no matter how slow may bethe movement of the parts in the timed movement required to determinethe period between the making and breaking of the electric circuit. Theadvantages of my improvement will appear more clearly as I proceed withmy specification.

horizontal drive shaft 14.

The re- In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view representing a side elevation of a switch of the kinddescribed, embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view representing a side elevation of the switch looked atfrom the oppositeside from that shown in Fig. 1.

I Figs. 3 and i are views representing side elevations similar to Fig.1, except that the parts are shown as they appear in successive periodsof the operation of the switch.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the switch.

Fig. 6 is a view representing a vertical section through Fig. 5 in aplane indicated by the line 6-6 thereof.

7 is a view indicating a partial section through Fig. 1 in a planeindicated by the line 77 thereof.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are detail elevations of parts to be referred to laterin the specification.

Referring now to that embodiment of my invention illustrated in thedrawings,-10 indicates a base upon which the parts of the switchmechanism are mounted. 11 indicates an upright bracket plate rising fromthe base 10, and 12 indicates a horizontal platesupported at the top ofsaid bracket plate 11. On the upright bracket plate 11, there issupported in suitable bearings 18 a 15 indicates a pulley fixed on saidshaft and adapted to be to be driven from any convenient motor (notshown). On the shaft 1 1 is keyed a worm 16 which engages a worm wheel17 journaled on a horizontal stud 17 attached in any convenient way tothe upright plate 11.

In the case of the switch mechanism shown herein, the worm 16 and theworm wheel 17 comprise the timing mechanism of the switch and determinethe periods at which the circuit or circuits controlled by the switchareto be made or broken.

On the top of the plate 12 is mounted an insulation'block 18. At eachend of said insulation block are attached binding posts 19, 19, whichare electrically connected with upright, laterally spaced, fixed, duplexswitch blades 20 constructed to contact with the usual knife blades onthe movable member of the switch mechanism. Each pair of switch blades20 constitute terminals in an electric circuit supplying the lamps on asign or like device (not shown), and usually a sign which bearselectrically illuminated characters on different parts, as for example,on opposite sides, which are intended to be alternately illuminated, theone being dark when the other is illuminated.

21 indicates the movable member of the electric switch. In the caseillustrated, said movable member carries knife contacts for each of thefixed blade contacts above referred to. The movable member 21 comprisesa flanged plate 22 journaled in upright bearing arms 23, 23 fixed to thehorizontal plate 12; insulation blocks 24-, 2 1- fixed to said plate;and U-shaped bars 25, 25 aflixed to the ends of said blocks and eachbent to form knife contacts 25 25* adapted to co-act with and provideelectrical connection between the switch blades 20, 20 at the respectiveends of the plate 18.

The movable switch carrying plate 22 is constructed so as to carry thepairs of knife contacts 25, 25 in planes at an angle to each other, sothat when one set of knife contacts 25 is engaged with its associatedblade contacts 20, the other set of knife contacts 25 will be disengagedfrom their associated blade contacts 20.

On the rock shaft 22 adjacent one end of the plate 22 (and as shown inthe draw ings, in the plane of the upright plate 11 on the inside of thebearing arm 23 for the movable switch blade 22) is rotatively mounted anupright rocking plate 26. On the outside of the said bearing arm and invertical alinement below the axis of oscillation of said rocking plate26 is rotatively mounted a bell crank lever 27. The lever 27 has arms27, 27 which each carry laterally extending pins 27 27*. At the bottomof the oscillating plate 26 and at either side of its center ofoscillation are formed cams 26, 26 which are adapted to be engaged bythe pins 27 b on the bell crank lever 27 in a manner presently to bedescribed in the operation of the apparatus. The plate 26 has laterallyextending pins 26, 26, which are adapted to coact in alternation withthe top of the plate 22 to swing the same on its rock shaft 22 28indicates an arm pivoted to swing on the shaft 22 on which is mountedthe rocking plate 26 and the rocking switch plate 22. A contractile,coiled spring 29 connects a pin 28 located below the rock shaft 22 onthe arm 28 with a pin 26 fixed to a radial, upright extension or arm 26made rigid with the rocking plate 26 and located symmetrically withreference to the cam surfaces 26, 26 on said plate. The arm 28 isconnected by a pitman 30 to a crank pin 17 on the worm gear 17 whichacts to drive the switch mechanism. On the arm 28 is a laterallyextending pin 28 which engages in a radial slot 27 formed in the arm 27one-half way between the pins 27 carried by said arm. Said pin,

by its coaction with said slot, acts to swing the bell crank lever 27 inone direction or the other as the arm 28 is swung.

The operation of the switch mechanism is as follows :As will be apparentfrom the drawings, the continuous rotation of the worm gear 17 by theworm 16 will produce a slow oscillation of the arm 28, first in onedirection and then in the opposite direction. Starting with theapparatus in the position shown in Fig. 1, the knife con tacts 25 at theleft hand side of the switch mechanism are engaged with their associatedblade contacts 20, so that the circuit controlled by that part of theswitch mechanism is closed, and the knife contacts 25, at the right handside of the switch mechanism, are disconnected from their associatedblade contacts, so that the electric circuit controlled by said part ofthe switch mechanism is broken. With the parts in this position, theplate 26 is held in a position to the left of the rock shaft 22 by meansof its connection through the coiled spring 29 with the rock arm 28, andthe bell crank lever 27 has been rocked to the left by means of theengagement of the pin 28 carried thereby in the slot 27 of said bellcrank lever. In this position of the parts also, the left hand pin 27carried by the bell crank lever 27 is engaged under the left hand camsurface 26 of the rocking plate 26, while the left hand pin 26 of theplate 26 is engaged against the top of the plate 22.

As the gear 17 continues to rotate clockwise, as indicated by the arrow,the rock arm 28 is swung to the left into the position indicated by thedotted lines in Fig. 1. This movement of the parts will apparently causethe bell crank lever 27 to swing downward toward the left by reason ofthe engagement of the pin 28 in the slot 27 of the bell crank lever soas to depress the pin 27 below its co-acting cam surface 26 on the camplate 26. Thus, the movement of the gear 17 and of its crank pin 17 fromthe position shown in full lines to the position shown in dotted lines,and in addition from the position shown in dotted lines through anangular movement equal to that in going from the position shown in fulllines to the position in dotted lines, will have no effect upon therocking plate 26. As the gear continues to rotate beyond the last namedposition, however, the arm 28 is swung to the right and with it is swungthe bell crank lever 27. This move ment of the bell crank lever swingsthe pin 27 b carried thereby at the left upwardly so that said pin,coacting with the associated cam surface 26' on the cam plate 26, actsto swing the cam plate to the right slowly. lVith the movement of thelarge gear, the knife contacts 25 on the left gradually rise and theknife contacts 25 on the a position of vertical alinement.

right gradually descend until finally a position as shown in Fig. 3, isreached. In this movement of the parts, the coiled spring 29, the radialarm of the plate 26 and the rock arm 28, gradually approach As soon asthe position of vertical alinement of the parts is reached and passedthrough, the coiled spring acts to instantly shift the plate 26 to theright. As a result of this movement, the right hand pin 26 carried bysaid plate is caused to forcibly engage the plate 22 and swing it to theright, so as to instantly disconnect the knife contacts on one side (theleft side, as above described) and connect the knife contacts and itsassociated switch blades on the other side (the right side.) The camsurfaces 26 are so formed with relation to the bell crank lever 27 andits pins 27 that when this movement occurs, the pin 27 on the sidetoward which the switch is moving (in the case described, the rightside) will not be struck by the associated cam surface until the knifecontact 25 (at the right) reaches its seat in its associated bladecontact. In Fig. 3, the parts are shown in the position they occupy justas the shifting movement above described is broken, and Fig. 4represents said parts after said shifting movement has beenaccomplished.

I now have the parts in the same position which they occupied as firstdescribed, except that they are reversed, and the operation is asbefore, the engagement of the pin 28 carried by the rock arm 28 in theslot 27 of the lever 27 again shifting the bell crank lever with its pinaway from the plate 26 during the movement of the gear required to carryits crank pin which is connected to the rock arm 28 down below thehorizontal diameter in the gear.

In order to reduce the shock when the movable switch member is shiftedas described, elastic strips 80" are fixed to the top of the fixedinsulation block 18 in position to be engaged by associated members 30carried by the movable switch member 21, in this case the bolts, bymeans of which the insulation blocks 24 are attached to the rockingplate 22.

I claim as my invention:

1. An automatic switch device comprising fixed contact members, afulcrum, a rocking switch member having contacts adapted to make andbreak connection with said fixed contacts. said rocking switch memberbeing mounted on said fulcrum, a swinging arm mounted coaxially withsaid switch member, a rocker pivoted vertically below said fulcrum anddirectly actuated by said swinging arm, a second rocker fulcrumedcoaxially with said rocking switch member, said second rocker beingprovided with lost motion devices for engagement with said rockingswitch member and the first mentioned rocker also being provided withlost motion devices for engagement with the second rocker, and elasticmeans connecting said second rocker at a point above its rocking axiswith said swinging arm at a point below its axis.

2. An automatic switch device comprising a base, fixed contact memberson said base, a fulcrum, a rocking switch member mounted on saidfulcrum, a swinging arm also mounted on said fulcrum, a rocker fulcrumedon said base in a plane spaced from the said fulcrum, a second rockermounted on said fulcrum, means operatively connecting said swinging armwith the first mentioned rocker, devices on said rocker adapted toactuate said second rocker but with lost motion between them, meanson-said second rocker adapted for operative engagement with saidrockingswitch member after said second rocker has moved through apredetermined distance, a spring connecting said second rocker at apoint spaced outwardly from said fulcrum with said swinging armintermediate its ends and means for imparting movement to said swingingarm.

8. An automatic switch comprising a base, contact members fixed on saidbase, a shaft, a rocking switch member having contacts adapted forengagement with said fixed contacts, fulcrumed on said shaft, a swingingarm mounted on said shaft, a rocker having a slot fulcrumed on said basein a plane below said shaft, a stud on said swinging arm operativelyengaged in the slot in said rocker, a second rocker fulcrumed coaxiallywith said shaft, said first rocker having studs adapted to actuate saidsecond rocker after said first rocker has traveled through a part of itsmovement, means on said second rocker adapted for operative engagementwith said rocking switch member after said rocker has moved through apredetermined distance, and a spring connecting said second rocker at apoint above its fulcrum to said swinging arm at a point intermediate itsends.

4. An automatic switch comprising a base, contact members fixed on saidbase, a shaft, a rocking switch member having contacts adapted forengagement with said fixed contacts, fulcrumed on said shaft, a swingingarm mounted on said shaft, a rocker having a slot fulcrumed on said basein a plane be low said shaft, a stud on said swinging arm operativelyengaged in the slot in said rocker arm, a second rocker fulcrumedcoaxially with said shaft, said first rocker having studs adapted toactuate said second rocker after said first rocker has traveled througha part of its movement, means on said second rocker adapted foroperative engagement with said rocking switch member after said rockerhas moved through a predetermined distance, a spring connecting saidsecond rocker at a point above its fulcrum to said swinging arm at apoint intermediate its ends, and cushioning means on said base adaptedto be engaged by said rocking switch member.

5. An automatic switch device comprising a base having fixed contactsand a movable contact member mounted on said base and adapted toperiodically make and break con nection with said fixed contact, arocker adapted for operating said movable switch member and having partsfor engagement with said movable switch member to bring it intoelectrical connection with the said fixed contacts on said base, anauxiliary rocker pivotally mounted on said base below the fulcrum ofsaid rocking switch member, said rocker having fixed parts adapted forengagement with said operating member for movement of the same when saidmovable switch member is being removed from engagement with said fixedcontacts, a reciprocatory'swinging arm fulcrumed coaxially with saidrocking switch, a pin carried by said swinging arm and operatively:connected to said auxiliary rocker, and a spring fixed to said rockerabove its fulcrum and to said swinging arm below its fulcrum.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention I afiix mysignature in the presence of two witnesses, this 3rd day of October, A.D. 1914.

JOHN FRIIS.

WVitnesses:

T. H. ALFRnDs, KARL W. DoLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, .D. C.

